A TEESSIDE nurse accused of giving an overdose to a patient and then failing to report his mistake faces an anxious wait before he learns his fate.

David Sneddon, 45, from Redcar, blundered while on duty on a neurosurgical ward at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

Sneddon ordered the male patient be given a dose of Phenytoin - a powerful anti-epileptic drug - two hours after colleague Lisa Snaith recorded the fact it had already been administered, it is claimed.

A fellow nurse who helped Sneddon deliver the second dose of Phenytoin resigned because she was “devastated” by the incident, the panel heard.

Liz Fisher admitted she “felt guilty” when she realised senior staff knew nothing of the overdose, and resigned in October 2006.

Mrs Fisher told the hearing she had given the extra dose on Sneddon’s command, but she did not tell the doctors or senior nursing staff when she had the chance.

She said: “I did not think it was appropriate to disturb them on their ward round, so I went back and told Mr Sneddon of the situation.

“By this time it was 2.40pm and I said I would have to go and pick up my children from school.

“I asked him to fill in the incident form, tell the nurse in charge and tell the doctors. He agreed to do that.

“I had no reason not to trust Mr Sneddon.”

During his hospital disciplinary hearing in late 2006, Sneddon changed his story and claimed no Phenytoin was dispensed, it was said.

Sue Geldart, acting divisional manager, told the hearing she was “surprised” when Sneddon and his legal representative came back on day two of his hearing to make the claim.

She said: “David contested dispensing Phenytoin at all.

“At no point during the investigation or during the first day of the hearing was it contested that David dispensed Phenytoin.”

Sneddon was later sacked.

The nurse denies dispensing Phenytoin when it had already been given to the patient.

He also denies failing to report this error to senior staff or filling out an incident report form.

Sneddon admits signing off a string of drugs - not including Phenytoin - as given to the patient when he had not administered them.